Sorceress of the Wood
by SwEeTaNgEl-BrAt
Summary: A young girl looses her memory, and tries to track down her past while being accompanied by a comany of rouges, warriors, and mages. What she doesnt know is that she will find adventure, love, danger, or that she is one of the most prophecices legends in.
1. Prolouge

Prologue

"Hurry! We don't have much time!" a woman says as she runs about the large palace room. Smoke rose up from between the floorboards and out the windows, a ghastly smell ensnaring the woman's senses.

"Where is she?" a man asks. Suddenly the door bursts in and fire quickly consumes the room. The woman screams and collapses to the floor as the man runs quickly out of the door.

"Help me! Please! Help me!" a girl screams from a corner of the room. She falls to the floor smoke consuming her. She looks up into the flames and sees a man step through the fire. She closes her eyes just as he kneels and picks her up and bolts through the doorway.

He quickly runs down the hallway and out the wide flame covered doors that open onto the now destroyed village. The girl opens her eyes slightly and looks over the man's shoulder. She sees two huge large beasts running after them. Just before her eyes close again she notices a rose tattoo with dew drops at the base of the mans neck. Just as she goes to speak the man trips, and she goes flying into a tree. She opens her eyes slightly and sees the man run off, the beasts following him.

Then the world went black...

She opens her eyes slightly and peers around at her surroundings. _Where am I?_ She thinks to herself. She looks up to the blue sky bordered by lush green trees and singing birds and…a black blob? She looks up to the blob as it grows bigger. The blob slowly changes into a tall creature with fair skins, long blonde hair, and silvery eyes.

"Vedui' little one" the thing says smiling down to her. She looks to the thing with untrusting eyes and a vacant expression on her face.

"Who…who are you? _What_ are you?" she asks pushing against a tree.

"I am Jules, elvish rogue" he replies brightly, "and you are?"

"I'm…" she looks down as she tries to reply "I…I don't know who I am" she finally says after many moments of thinking.

The elf looks at her strangely, "You don't know who you are, eh? Well where are you from? Maybe that will help find your identity."

"I…I don't know. I don't know anything really," she replies as she looks down.

"Hmm. What was the last thing you remember?" he asks her after a moment of silence.

"Well I don't remember anything. Its like I'm a nobody. Like I don't have any answers. It's all so dark and cloudy," she says looking around.

"That presents quite a problem" he says as he lays out his hand to help her up. She looks to his hand and sees a green dragon tattoo on his palm. Her eyes open wide and then she faints, collapsing to the ground.

He looks at her oddly and picks her up. "Guess we'll just have to take you to the elders, their not going to like it, but they can deal" he says as he walks into the deep darkened woods.


	2. I Wish

**1**

"Lina! Hurry up will you! We're gonna be late!" Pavo yells from the door.

"Yea, Yea!" she yells back as she opens the door. A blonde 15-year-old girl steps out of the room. She wasn't what you would call perfect but she was stunning. With her long blonde hair flowing down her back, neatly braided to perfection, and her side braids drawn together in the back, she was easily mistaken for an elf. Her silver silk body suit covering most of her body, with the exception of her legs, made her seem slim and toned. Her shawl of the finest dwarven satin trailing down past her calves, gave the impression of height.

The silver and gold bracelets that dangled on her wrist made the slightest clinking when she walked. The belt, which lightly rested on her hips, carried two dagger hilts and two kitana sheaths. Her bow gently lay on her back, seeming as if it was a part of her. And those eyes that were an iridescent violet-ice topped with silver gleam set her off from everyone else.

Pavo looks her up and down and shakes his head. "Silly girls," he remarks.

"Hold your horses boy! A girl needs time to make herself presentable. Especially if the elders are going to be watching," she exclaims as they walk down the hall.

"There won't _be_ any horses if we don't hurry up!" Pavo replies.

"Ok, last one there's a stink old dragon!" she says to him laughing as she bolts foreword grabbing her pack from the doorway.

"Oh no you don't!" Pavo exclaims as he grabs his pack and runs after her. She looks back to him and smiles as she jumps onto a branch of a tree and starts to run from tree branch to tree branch. He laughs and yells up, "Cocky little girl, aren't you?"

She smiles and bows slightly to him as she runs. Just as she does so she misses a branch and falls out of the tree. She flips slightly in mid air and lands on her feet and glares up to Pavo who is quite a ways ahead of her.

He sticks his tongue out to her as he laughs, running into a branch. He falls to the ground just as she comes up on him. "Looks like you're down little boy…get to cocky didya now?" Lina says smiling down to him.

He glares as he quickly grabs her leg and pulls slightly dragging her feet from under her as she falls into a pile of dragon dung.

"Oh this is nice!" she exclaims as she looks back at Pavo who is already up. He grins to her and starts to run foreword as she grabs his legs and pulls him into the dung as well.

She grins and stands up and looks down at him, "Ha! Looks like you're the old stinky dragon!" she laughs slightly and bolts off.

He pounds his fist into the ground as he stands up and runs towards to encampment, grunting and grumbling. She looks back to him and smiles.

Just as she turns her head back around she trips over a rope and falls into a horse. The horse rears up its hind legs and kicks a man into a tent, collapsing it.

Pavo walks up to her and shakes his head. "Smooth move sis," he says as she growls to him.

"LINA ELECTRA RENE MARISU! Look at what you've done!" a man says walking up to her his clothes and hair all messed up and scraggly. She looks to him and smiles innocently.

She quickly stands up and looks to him and bows her head. "I'm sorry M'lord Maralius. It was an accident!" she says her head still down.

He glares to her. "Your late for training, your covered in dragon remains, you run into a horse who then kicks M'Lord Janeilo into my tent, you destroy me tent, AND you forgot your anklet!" he says to her, his voice loud and tempered," what do you have to say for yourself? Hmm?"

"W..well I … uh…"she starts as Pavo walks up.

"She was chasing me after me m'lord" Pavo says looking down.

"and why is that?" Maralius replies.

"I…I had taken her necklace as a joke. Then I tripped her and she fell into dragon dung on our way here. She then pulled me into it and then when we arrived her I was taunting her from behind and her foot caught that rope there and she fell into the horse. And well…that's how it happened M'lord. Please don't punish her. It wasn't her fault," he finishes bowing slightly.

"Is this true Lina?" Maralius asks her.

She looks to Pavo then nods, "yes it is M'lord."

Maralius nods and looks over to Pavo. "Due to your rude and immature actions, you now are required to do 2 months of hard core training without logged hours, instead of the regular week," he says looking sternly to Pavo.

Pavo looks down and nods. The elder glares at the two and walks away shaking his head. "Thank you Pavo," Lina says to Pavo, "but, why did you stand up for me and take the heat? Did you think I wasn't good enough to take the punishment or something?"

"Hey listen, you are good enough. For a human, you are amazing. Did you see how you ran from branch to branch? How you brought me down into that dung single handedly? Compared to most humans, you're a goddess," he says looking at her with a soft smile, placing his hands on her shoulders. She nods and he walks off towards the main tent.

"Yea, but not good enough for you," she says and looks down. She leans against a pole gently. The pole starts to give as she stands up and reaches to catch the pole, and fails. A the pole falls down and lands next to Maralius. He looks at the pole then at her. She cowers slightly and runs off out of sight.

"I'm never good enough, sure, yea, to 'other' standards I'm good, great even, but I want to be as good as everyone else. I want to be able to make a bullseye on the target while riding through razor sharp rocks on a pissed off stallion. I want to be able to stop being a cluts and ruining everything just as life starts to get good. 'oh it's only human to do that, hunny, everyone does it' yea everyone, as long as you're a human. Well guess what! I don't want to be human. I want that perfect shape, that perfect hair, that perfect aim, that all around perfection." She looks down and sighs.

"What do I have to do to prove I'm worthy enough to do that quest and become a real rogue? What if I can never prove myself?" she says to herself, "I mean I have the brains, and the skills, and the heart. Just it's not all perfect. Why can't I just be normal?" she slams her hand down onto a rock as she walks past it.

"I know how to prove myself!" she grins slightly, "I can talk to the elders and persuade them that I'm good enough for the quest. I'll show them hat I have the wits as well as the skill to complete the quest. I mean what do I have to loose?" She smiles slightly as she looks down.

"And what do you think your doing Lina?" Pavo asks walking up behind her.

"Oh nothing just making my way to lessons, why?"

"Well, you better turn around and go home. For your information lessons are cancelled due to the instructor being kicked into an elders tent," he says looking at her.

"You go on ahead Pavo, I'll be home later."

"Ok, if you say so," Pavo says walking off.

She sighs and walks to the lake and sits there thinking. Hours pass by as she sits there deep in thought. She then hears someone or something approaching from behind her. She gently lays a hand on her dagger hilt clenching the dagger tightly.

Finally the thing comes in reach of her arm as she draws her dagger and brings it to the things Achilles tendon. Just then she feels an arrow head being pressed against her neck. She raises her head and looks the thing in the face. She blushes and nods as she looks into the eyes of the elder, Azequilae.

"Hello M'lady," she says, "if you are indeed M'lady Azequilae."

"And if I am not?"

"Then my blade shall swiftly slide across your tendon, slicing it in half while my eyes watch you flop around like a fish out of water," Lina replies with a solemn look upon her face.

"You are wise to think that I am not Azequilae, or very foolish," the woman says looking down onto the girl.

"Well, I think I know the difference between saying 'I am not myself' and 'I am not Azequilae'. That was one mistake I caught quickly. Then I looked at your attire and realized that M'lady Azequilae would never wear a green tunic with red shoes. Thirdly, when Lady Azequilae walks she doesn't make noise. You did. Would you care for me to go on, or do you think that I know that you are not Azequilae?" Lina says looking up to the woman.

"You are quite right my child," the woman says as she transforms into a much younger woman. About 24 in human eyes. It was Lady Julianna, _the_ elder of all the elders.

"My Lady Julianna!" Lina exclaims as she bows her head slightly not taking her eyes off of her. "How do I know its you though M'lady? You deceived me once…you could do it again," she says looking at her inquisitively.

"The same way you knew I wasn't Azequilae," the woman says, "all those traits you listed off you know only I do…so…'tis that not enough proof?"

"Indeed you are Lady Julianna," she says smiling slightly, withdrawing her dagger and sheathing it.

Lady Julianna sheaths her arrow and sits next to her. "What is on your mind child? I know something is troubling you, you are glowing with disappointment," she says looking to Lina.

"M'lady, do you ever think I could go on a quest? A quest like the other RIT's do."

"RIT's?" Julianna asks.

"Oh, I'm sorry M'lady. Rogues In Training," Lina replies.

"Oh, why do you ask my dear?"

"Well…I don't know. It just seams like I don't amount to anything. I'm not good enough to be a rogue, let alone an elvish rogue. I want to be able to walk into a tavern and when someone asks where I'm from or who I'm with I can say, 'The Fire Blade Clan' and actually mean that _I am_ a rogue of the Fire Blade Clan. Not just a trainee or a maiden. I want to rescue people. Find my past. Prove myself that I am more than a mere human who always screws up," Lina says looking down.

Julianna laughs slightly and looks to Lina. "My dear, you are amazing and you do amount to a lot. And I understand what you mean to want to be able to go places and actually want to _be_ someone. Apart of something great. I know that you want to prove yourself and get some answers. I was just like that when I was your age. You just not ready though. I don't think you could face the world outside these walls. It's not all bread and honey you know. It's a tough world out there."

"Yes, I know, but Lady Julianna I think I could do it…I really think I could. If you would just give me a chance. A quest. If I fail then you can bring me home. Anything. Just as long as I can at least have a chance to prove that I _can_ be something. Please M'lady Julianna."

Julianna looks down and thinks then nods. "All right, I'll let you go on a quest, BUT you have to return if you fail. Understand?" she says looking sternly at her.

Lina's face lights up as she jumps up and hugs her tightly. "I know I can do this! Thank you SO much. You won't regret it…I promise!" she says as she stands up and trips over her on feet and falls into the lake, splashing Julianna.

She pops her head out of the water and grins as she looks to Julianna and ducks. Julianna glares at her then smiles and stands up. "Go wash up and meet me at my tent at dusk. I'll have your quest by then."

"Thank you again M'lady! Thank You SO much!" Lina say smiling.

Julianna nods and walks off towards her tent as Lina jumps out and starts to walk home to tell her guardians.

About half way to her house she hears a sound in the bushes and stops and places a hand on her hilt as she looks around. Suddenly a hand wraps around her so she can't draw her weapon and a mask ties around her eyes and mouth. She starts to kick, but gets hit along side the head with a heavy object, as she is dragged off into the bushes.


	3. Dreams Do Come True

**2**

Lina wakes up as she opens her eyes but only sees darkness. She sits there, leaning up against the tree as she tries to listen and make out the voices and sounds of the world around her. Sounds of birds and water beating upon rocks reach her ears. She perks up her head as she hear footsteps arrive to her ears.

"Ah, sleeping beauty is finally awake, huh?" a man's voice rings out.

She tries to speak but finds a gag in her mouth. She wriggles for a second trying to get loose from the bonds.

"You want untied don't you?"

She nods as she wriggles around a bit more.

"Do you promise not to run away?" the man asks her calmly. He approaches her slowly as she stops moving.

She shakes her head as she hears him come closer. She slips her hand out of one of the bonds yet keeps it behind her back, waiting to make her move. He steps closer and closer till he finally stops and kneels down next to her.

"Well than that's a problem," he replies as he pulls off her gag.

"Yea I guess it is," she says finally able to talk again.

"Now once again, if I untie you, do you promise not to run away?"

"If you untie me I promise not to break your neck."

"Try your best little girl…but since your still tied up then I guess you couldn't break my neck. I think I like you better like this," he says with a chuckle.

"Well you see…I still can break your neck…so either untie me and live or keep me bound and die. Your choice really. I could stay here all day if I wanted to. Let your men try to take me on."

"I think I'll keep you untied…and my men could never hurt a woman," he says leaning into her, "without my command."

"Correct me if I am wrong but you couldn't give that order if you were dead…right?" she says with a grin.

"You are correct, but I have you bound, and I am still alive. What makes you think though that once you kill me my men won't just attack anyways out of revenge?"

"Because, my good thief, you and your men are from the Thieves Guild of the Crowing Raven and that specific guild worships Alahniha, goddess of honor and women. Even if you gave the order they could not go against their religion and forsake all they believe in," she says shifting a bit.

"Very well my dear…but that still leads us to the whether I am going to untie you or not. Since I see no point to letting you go and you untied runs far too much of a risk, I think I'm going to leave you tied. Just for safe keeping," he grins and chuckles, "also…I wouldn't try running if I were you. You'd never get home. You've been unconscious for 2 days. We are near the border of Grusthland."

"Very well then, your decision!" she says smiling slightly as she finishes slipping her other hand out of the binding.

He looks to her with a strange look then breaks out laughing. He looks to the other men near by as they begin laughing as well.

She brings her hands up quickly to his head and swiftly snaps it. The man falls into her lap as the rest quickly become silent. She tares off her blindfold and stands up looking around at the rest of the thieves.

A man steps forward and draws his sword onto her. "Foolish woman! You thought that we wouldn't dare attack you? You killed my brother, and curse be the god's, now you must pay!" he says as she runs at her.

She opens her eyes wide and grabs the dead man's sword. She ducks under the other mans blow and slices him across the gut dropping him to the floor. She looks to the other men who draw their swords and start to come at her slowly.

She looks around and sees an untied horse then her weapons near by. She whistles slightly and starts to run towards her weapons as the horse runs up along side her. She grabs the horse's main gently and jumps onto the horse. She reaches out to her weapons on the ground as she snatches them up.

The men run to their horses and start to chase after her. She looks back to the men chasing her then forward as she attempts to put her belt on. Successfully she hooks her belt and dodges a branch. She grabs her kitana's and ties them to her belt. She looks back behind her to the men as they start to gain on her.

"Damn it! Why is it every time my life actually starts to get good, it turns bad!" she groans as she pulls an arrow out of the holder and draws up her bow. She turns around slightly and aims for the closest rider.

She holds her breath as she draws the arrow back and lets it go. The arrow flies straight into the rider's throat as he falls down in front of another rider's horse. "Yess!" she claims as she turns around and leans forward onto the horse, holding onto the mane tightly.

She spots buildings up ahead. She grins and rides into a small village, tearing up dust behind her. She jumps off her horse at a nearby cross roads, grabs her arrows and runs to the nearest door.

She opens the door and runs into the inn and shuts the door abruptly behind her as she looks around. She waits a second, then takes a deep breath resting her head on the door. Suddenly she feels a push on the door as she backs away from it slightly allow the person to enter.

A man, about 5'11", blue eyes, and black hair, steps in and looks to her questionably. She looks to the man and smiles, bowing her head in apology.

"I am sorry m'lord," she says still slightly out of breathe.

"Lord huh," he smiles, " 'tis no problem." He walks over to the bar and takes a seat.

She smiles and bows her head once more, wiping the sweat from her face. She sighs slightly and makes her way to the bar and takes a seat at the far end.

She glances to the man as he pulls out a kitana and starts to clean the blade. "Nice blade you have there. Silver or steel?"

"I actually have no idea what it's made out of. It was made by dragons," he looks down to her, "All I know is that it found me first."

"It found you huh?" she says looking to him, "May I see?" She stands up and walks up to him.

"Sure, I hope she likes you," he says and lifts up the blade for her.

Lina takes the blade and gently holds it in her hand. "Nice blade," she says holding her hand over the blade as it glows.

He smiles and nods, "Thank you."

"Does she have magical uses?"

"She does if I hold her. There is a long since dead princess's soul in that blade. In my hands, it can become very destructive. I'm still learning about the sword, though."

"I see," she says looking closer to the blade recognizing the make right away, "I may only be a Rogue in Training, but I know a Cartelian Battle Sword when I see one. She is a very good sword, m'lord. Never let her go. Actually that goes for most things in your life."

He smiles to her, "I won't and I don't think I could even if I tried."

"I know what you mean," she says smiling and looking down to her Fire Blades, "I would not let these go even if it meant my life."

He laughs slightly and nods. She laughs and hands him back his sword. He takes his sword from her. "Thank you," he says and puts it back in it holder, "So where are you from?"

"I'm from the Rogue Encampment of the Flaming Blade. Though I was kidnapped you see and…I'm sorry. I should not bore you on how I came to be here. I apologize," Lina says smiling and bowing her head.

He nods his head. "Don't worry about it. No harm done. So you said you were kidnapped huh? Sad. What do you plan to do now?"

"Find my way back home I guess, you see, I'm a human and my encampment is elvish. The elders never approved of me going out on a quest. They always said I wasn't ready. Like with everything else. So just as the leader of the elders granted me a quest…" she pauses for a moment and smiles a soft blush upon her cheeks, "there I go again blabbing on when I should be quiet."

" 'Tis alright my lady. I like the elves. They have good wine and great women! But I hope you have a good trip back with no further troubles."

"Me? Not get into trouble. Yea that'll be the day. I'm too much of a cluts to not be trouble."

"With me, I'm not very smart so I defiantly know what you mean," he says with a soft laugh.

She nods to him gently and stands up, "If you'll excuse me I must adjourn our time alone…I'm afraid I have…" she looks out the window and sees of the thieves walk towards the inn, "…I have to leave." She smiles and nods quickly.

He looks up to her, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

She looks to the man and nods, "Maybe." She looks to the door and sees the two men enter the inn. They look around then they spot her as she jumps behind the bar and runs towards the back door.

The man who had been enjoying her company looks to the men and stands up after watching her bolt out like that. The two men start to chase after her but he steps into their path.

"Please step aside, good sir, this is none of your concern," one of the thieves says. The inn grows quiet fast as eyes are drawn to the heat building up in the middle of the room.

"I'm sorry but I'm afraid I can't let you pass. Hurting a lady while under this roof is a bad idea. We don't like men who hurt ladies."

"We? Are you delusional boy? There is only one of you."

"Think again," he says smiling as a few men stand from the tables and walk to him. An amazon woman walks from behind the bar and stands next to him as well.

The two men laugh softly then quickly grow white and bolt out of the inn. The company laughs as the leader, it seemed, runs towards the back door. Just as he's about to step out the door a huge cast-iron pan flies out and hits him in the chest. He doubles over and looks up to her.

She stops just as she sees who it was and drops the pan and kneels beside him. "I am SO sorry! I thought you were one of them. Are you alright?" she says with a worried look on her face.

"I'll be fine…just knocked the wind out of me is all."

"What happened? Where are they?" she says looking around.

"My party and I kind of scared 'em off," he says laughing slightly.

She smiles and helps him up. "Thank you. I don't know how I can repay you."

"Well, you could let me buy you a drink…" he says smiling.

"Ok, that'd be nice," she says as they walk back into the tavern area of the inn.


	4. The Shadow of the Rose Company

**3**

After a few drinks get drank and a couple hours pass by, the man finally asks her, "So, what's your name, M'lady. We've exchanged all this information about ourselves yet have not been introduced." He laughs gently.

"Oh! Yes that would be a good thing. My name is Lina. Rogue in Training, daughter of Lady Azequilae and Lord Jules. Well adopted daughter anyways. And who are you m'lord?" she replies.

"Lina, that's a very beautiful name. I am Dariel son of Dwarli. Warrior and leader of the Shadow of the Rose Company. 'Tis a pleasure to meet you," he says.

"The pleasure is all mine M'lord Dariel. I'm quite sure!" she smiles and raises her hand in a greeting gesture. He smiles and takes her hand gently and brings it to his lips in a soft kiss. Lina blushes slightly and withdraws her hand. "So m'lord…you said that you were the son of Dwarli, the god of strength and wisdom, please, entice me with why you said that."

He smiles, "I thought you might catch that. You see I travel everywhere. I was born in a town that was destroyed during a 100-year feud between the humans and dragons. Well dragons and their minions. For the past 5 years, since it was destroyed, my company and I have been searching for the Sorceress of the Woods. She lived in my village as well. She was lost. I know she is alive. I can feel her magic with-in the earth."

"You see she is the only one who can stop this feud. The one who can bring peace back to the chaos in this land. When she disappeared, something happened and her magic aura of the land slowly drained. You could feel it in the earth as well as the life all around. Lately her magic has been replenishing itself. Renewing its powers. Soon enough she will be strong enough to reclaim the throne as the sorceress she was born to be," Dariel says looking to her with a sparkle of hope in his eyes.

"Wow, you really believe she's still out there? Will you know it when you see her…or does she have to prove herself?"

"When she regains her full energy I hope no one is in her way when it happens. All I know is in the legends it says ' and a bright light will consume the land and draw it out of darkness. The weak depart and the faithful rise. The world again will cease to die' so I'm taking it that if your evil run for your life cause there is nothing that's evil that will stand alive in her path."

"Isn't. Sorry…I do that sometimes. Correct people," She says smiling.

"That's ok. Dare to take another round of Soul Crushers?" Dariel says to her brightly but slightly tipsy.

"Um…Soul Crushers? Uh…ok…oh! You mean drinks! Ok!" Lina smiles and nods. He looks to her and smiles and watches her for a moment. Intrigue and interest come over his face, as she order's more drinks.

After a more drinks are drank, and a laughs spread around she bids goodnight and wonders off to her room in the small tavern, a feeling of security coming over her as she closes the door gently smiling to Dariel as he walks by.

Lina sits in her bed reading a book in the candle light as a soft knock taps on her door. She looks up at the door knowing all to well that it is well past the time when everyone went to bed. Just as she reaches for her dagger she hears Dariel's voice come through the door. "M'lady Lina? Are you awake?" he says softly.

"Yes. Please come in," Lina says sliding her dagger back under her pillow. The door opens slightly as Dariel pokes his head into the doorway. She smiles as she gestures for him to enter. He nods and walks in, quietly shutting the door behind him. She offers him a seat on the bed as she closes her book and lays it on the side table and sits up a bit more in bed.

"Lina, I must ask you something. You see, like I told you before. We are searching for the lost sorceress of the woods and well, I was hoping you might be able to join our noble quest in discovering her. You look like you are experienced enough to defend yourself. And, quite frankly, I have a good feeling about you. You seem like one of those people who just fits with us. Your personality and vibe is so strong and stubborn I think you could really be of some help. What do you say, I mean, no offense, its not like you have much else to do," Dariel says down slightly.

"Well, as much as I hate to admit it, you're right. I have no where else to go. Home is to far away and in a direction I know not of. But what good would I be? I mean, I know for a fact from experience that I would hold you back. My clumsiness and my bad luck often get in my way. I was trained as a rogue but still, you and your men are great warriors, I would be easily mocked," Lina says looking at Dariel.

"I can assure you that wouldn't happen. Please Lina, come with us. Try us out. If it doesn't go well then leave. I just get a good feeling from you. And I don't get that often from people. Please Lina. Come with us. I promise we don't bite."

"Let me sleep on it. You will have an answer by morning," Lina smiles and nods to him.

"Very well. Sweet dreams M'lady," Dariel says as he stands up and bows and heads for the door.

Dariel opens the door slightly and walks out. But just before he closes the door, she says," Thanks again. For saving my life."

"Not a problem M'lady," Dariel replies as he bows again slightly and closes the door. She smiles and blows out the candle as she curls up under the blankets and doses off to sleep. Dreaming of all the adventures she might have if she traveled with them. Just as she falls asleep, Dariel feels a surge of energy that triggers his sense. An energy force emitting from the earth. He grins as he closes his eyes, the new power of the sorceress running through his veins. Four words descend from his lips as he drifts off, " Sweet Dreams M'Lady Sorceress."

Early the next morning as The Pink Rose Company is loading the horses, Lina runs out slipping on her boot with her very small pack on her shoulders screaming for them to wait for her. Dariel smiles as he walks from behind a black horse and looks to her. "May I take your pack for you M'lady?" he says reaching for her bag. She smiles and nods as she tries to hand him the bag and attempts to put her boot on.

"I'm coming with you," Lina says after finally getting her boot on. The Company looks at Dariel with a confused look on their faces, which he seems to ignore.

"Well then M'lady, thank you for join us. Do you have anymore luggage or bags we need to load up?" Dariel says looking to her.

"Nope, that's all I own." Lina replies looking down.

"I see. You can ride with Anell, our resident Amazon, until we find you a horse of your own," Dariel says nodding to Anell. Anell looks to him with a defiant look on her face as she glances to Lina then to Dariel. Lina sees this look and smirks as she looks down.

"I have my own horse. It is one I stole from those thieves," Lina says nodding toward the black Appaloosa horse in the next stable over. Dariel glares to Anell then nods to Lina.

As Lina loads her items onto her horse, two of Dariel's companions start muttering to each other, "I'm not sure that we should have another woman on our quest. The last one woman we invited to travel with us turned into a raging, Amazon," they laugh as they glance to Lina, Garret, the Company's usual drunk and Bard, thinking about how she might have some become very useful. Dendann, on the other hand, glared at her with spite and hatred. Him being an orcish-dwarf made him despise women. Let alone human women. _This one is going to be a problem._ Dendann thinks to himself.

Dariel walks up to Lina and hands her a set of leather armor. "For the trip," he says," there are some really nasty things out there. Wouldn't want you to get hurt." Dariel smiles as he looks down slightly. Lina thanks him and take the armor, slipping it on over her rags.

Lina looks up to Dariel as he walks away and smiles, a small feeling warmth rising from within her. She then looks at her horse as she mounts him and heads out the front gates of Leut H'lenasi. She looks back towards the tavern they stayed in and smiles. Her quest to find herself now began. Hourly she thought many things about what was in store for her. What would life outside the Encampment be like? Would she ever return? Before she knew it a deep heavy nightfall surrounded her. "We better make camp soon. Anell…Rikunnar…take first watch. Then Lina and myself. Then Dendann and Soffrim. Do we all agree to that?" Dariel says looking around at the company.

Small murmurs and faint nods move as the company starts to set up camp. Lina looks around, not having a tent of her own as she grabs a saddle blanket from her horse Midnight. She lays it on the ground under a willow tree and smiles as she waves her hand and mutters something and a small flame appears on her mini-torch she made. She smirks loving the little tricks she learned at the rogue encampment. She pulls out a small bit of bread from her newly acquired bag and eats a bit off of it and sits against the tree almost glad they haven't invited her over.

_My social skills are like that of a donkey compared to the elves._ She thinks, _wait! Why am I comparing myself to the elves? I'm not even a part of their world anymore. I'm with my kind, more or less. I mean a dwarf here and a rock gnome there but still, I'll never be as good as Mariloo when it comes to being a rogue. I mean, she fit the description, compared to her I am nothing but an oversized hop toad that's only purpose is to carry things and be a worm._ Lina sighs as she looks down almost missing what she knew of home.

"Hey Lina. Are you going to join us or are you going to sit under this tree like a hop toad waiting to be squished?" Dariel says smiling at her through the weeping willow vines.

_What the? How did he…could he? No, he couldn't read my mind. Why did he call me a hop toad then? _ She thinks looking at him. "Actually I'm going to stay here. Get some shut eye seeming how my first watch duty is coming up soon," she smiles and nods to him," thank you though."

"Ok then. Your choice," Dariel says smiling. He starts to head off then he stops and turns around and looks to her, "by the way Lina. I'm glad you joined us. You have no idea how much it means to me…and the company. Also, you can have my tent for tonight. Just until we can get you one. I don't mind sleeping under the stars tonight."

Lina smiles and nods and stands up. "Why, thank you," she says smiling as she slips through the vines and goes and crawls into his tent as Dariel walks to where her bed was and lays down on it.

Just as she seems to drift off she hears a voice telling her to wake up. She looks up and sees Rikunnar's head poked in through the tent door. "Wake up sleepy head. Your watch is up," Rikunnar says smiling as he helps Lina out of the tent, "sees Dariel lent you his tent. He's a nice guy. Almost too nice sometimes. Anyways. Good night my dear."

Rikunnar retires to his tent just as Dariel walks out from under the tree he slept under. Lina smiles to him and sits near the fire. "So Dariel. You never really elaborated the information about yourself. Our conversation got side tracked to your quest to search for the sorceress. Who are you? What is the name of the city you came from? Were you important? What did you do? Have you ever been in love?" Lina says looking to him, "Sorry I'm so pushy. You're the first human male I've met since I…"

"Since you what M'Lady?" Dariel asks.

"Since, it happen. I forgot everything about me. I only remember the past 5 years. After the elves found me they took me in said I have a case of amnesia. Whatever that is. They say it's where you hit your head and you loose your memory of everything you knew or loved before the day you lost your memory." Lina replies smiling.

"You lost your memory huh? All of it?"

"No. I…I still remember one thing but I don't like to talk about it. I don't like to think of what I could have been. I started my life new and that's all that matters. Enough about me. What about you?" Lina presses on looking at him.

"Well I lived in this city called Alandule. A small village that housed the palace for the kingdom of Alandulo. My childhood was filled with trainers and such. Barely any time to play. It was almost like I was bred for saving people and that's it. The first person I ever saved was this girl who was about 10 maybe 11. Same age I was. It was during the time when we were being attacked. I heard her screaming from within the palace. I ran through until I found her. I burst through the flames with her in my arms as we ran for dear life through the village and out into the forest. Two of Ruklen's minions were following us…" As he goes on she flashes back into her memory as she sees everything he is describing. The fire surrounding her. The man's silhouette coming through the flames and saving her. She snapped out of the memory, the one thing that she had to live on. The thing that kept her going every day.

"I went into the forest to look for her afterwards but I never found her. Then I got news that the sorceress had resided with in my village and was somewhere out in the world. Since then I have been searching for her. Gathering what men I could. I just hope that when I find her, she'll be strong enough to take the throne as The Sorceress of the Wood," Dariel says finishing proudly looking into the fire.

"Lina…are you alright?" He says looking to her.

"Dariel…I must tell you. That memory I told you I didn't want to talk about, I think it might be the sa…" she begins to say but is interrupted by Dariel's tent bursting into flames and five men riding through the camp on horse screaming and shouting in some foreign tongue. Men on foot come and circle in around the tents. Lina jumps up and draws her sword but is too late. She feels a hand hit her head and she falls to the ground. Her other companions bolt out of their tents slashing and dicing any who came into their path.

Lina stands back up and runs to attack who looked to be the leader. A man steps in front of her and tries to grab her but she jumps into the large willow tree and hides against the trunk making no sounds. She waits for a moment then Garret attacks the thief whom had recently attacked her. She runs to the end of the branch and flips down onto the back of the leader's horse and puts her dagger to his throat.

The leader smirks, "You can't kill me, girl. You don't have the will power to." He slowly reaches his hand around the grab her but instead finds the blade sinking deeper into his neck, threatening to draw blood.

"With draw your men," Lina says as she tilts his head back a bit to see, "and you'll live."

The man nods with a soft smirk upon his face as he carefully signals his men to stand down. As his men step down, she slowly climbs off the horse and releases her grasp on him. She turns her head to look at her companions just as the leader laughs and signals for the men to attack again. She turns around and glares to him as she prepares to fight him face to face. She hears thud behind her as she turns and sees Garret being dragged off by some thieves. When she turns back around to confront the leader again he is gone along with all of his men.

This is all I have so far. I am in the middle of writing chapter 4. Please read and review so that I know what I need to change or add to the story line. Thank you and wait to see the next chapter coming soon 


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